Puzzle or toy.



W. 1.1. oLsEN.

PUZZLE OR TOY.

APPLICATION FILED 811mm, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

i l E W. J. P. OLSEN.V

PUZZLE 0R TOY.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1911.

1,038,190-, Patented sept. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

coLUMBI. DLANOQRAPH Co.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

WALDEMAR J'. P. OLSENV', BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

ruzzLii on TOY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALDEMAR J. P. OLsEN, a subject of the King o-f Denmark, having declared my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the borough of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Puzzles or Toys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to puzzles and toys and more particularly to those of the balancing type which require a certain ma nipulation of the interior parts to solve the puzzle. Its object is to construct the interior of a suitably shaped object in such manner that under ordinary conditions it is impossible to stand the same upon its end,

but when certain prescribed things have= been accomplished the object will readily balance upon its end. This I accomplish by the means and in the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings form,

ing a part hereof, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical section of' my invention showing an ovoid or egg-l shaped object with the interior parts arranged in such position that the center of gravity is out of alinement with the axis of Fig. 2 is a similar view, but

said object. showing the object in balance and standing upon an end. Fig. 3 is a transversey horizontal section thereof taken on linel 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a central vertical tion. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 11-11, Fig. 9, drawn;- Fig. 12 is ai longitudinal section taken on line 12-12,' Fig. 13 is a central vertical sec` tion through the puzzle shown in Fig. 10.'

Referring more particularly to Figs. l,v

to a greatly enlarged scale.

Fig. 11.

2 and 3, it will be observed that the puzzle or toy is ovoid or egg-shaped, and comprises separable upper and lower shells 1,-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led September 21, 1911.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

Serial No. 650,541.

2, t-he former l, of which is made of transparent material and is adapted to be seated on a suitable shoulder 3, formed on the ex terior of the lower shell 2. This lower shell is preferably made of wood, aluminum or may be of transparent material slightly thicker than the upper shell, and it is provided with an axial stud or stand ard 4, on its inner surface that projects upwardly to a horizontal plane -slightly above the transverse plane of an annular shelf o-r ledge 5, formed on the inner surface of said lower shell. A suitable rocking or tilting gravity platform 6, circular in outline, is pivotally mounted on the standard. 4, by means of a pin 7. This platform is of a diameter slightly less than l the interior diameter of the shell 2, above the plane of shelf 5, and a plurality of equi-distant radial recesses or seats 8 are made in the central portion thereof, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Placed loosely in the chamber above the platform 6, are several metallic balls 9 and a masterball 9 that is of considerably greater diameter and weight than the other balls. These balls, when t-he puzzle is placed in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, will naturally seek the lowest level to reach a position of rest and will consequently tilt the platform 6, to an oblique angle, which will result in displacing the center of gravity to a plane removed from the major axis of the egg. The balls 9 must be manipulated until each has been placed or seated in its respective recess 8 in the center of platform 6 in which posie tion they will together form a triangular seat into which the master-ball 9a can be readily placed, and thus the center of gravity will be established along the major axis of the egg so that it may be placed upright on one end, and allowed to stand upright. In order to assist slightly in supporting the egg in this latter posit-ion, I prefer to pro- 'plate 13, retained in place by an annular bezel or ring 14. Instead of pivotally mounting the transverse platform 15, on a post or standard, it is made witha convexed upper surface and is seated in an anused in t-he preferred form of my invention, and the end of the bottle is provided with a i The solution of the flattened portion 19. puzzle is accomplished 1n the same manner as in the preferred form.

body. Seated in the frust-um end of the bottom is a loose metal ball 24, the upperj segment of which is in a plane slightlyr above the horizontal plane of the lower corner of the box. A rocking plate. 25 having radially disposed equi-distant recesses 26 is placed on this ball so that its central portion is supported thereby. The seating balls 27 and the master-ball 27a are placed on the upper surface of this plate and when the former have been placed in their respective recesses, and the master-ball 27a seated on them, the boX will be capable of being balanced on its lower end.

In Figs. 7 and 8 still further modiiied constructions are shown wherein the principle is the same as in the other forms described, namely, a movable seat for the master ball. However, in this construction the shells 30 and 31, are made hemispherical, the latter being transparent and seated in an annular exterior shoulder 32, and the former is provided with a flattened portion 33. A slight shelf 34 is formed on the interior of the shell 30 by increasing the diameter of the bore of the same and conveXed platform or plate S5 is seated thereon. The master-ball 36 being placed on this platform, it is free to move to the outer edge and will overbalance the same. However, in order to seat the ball, a washer or disk 36, having beveled upper edges is placed on the platform with the master-ball 36a. One method of i balancing the master-ball is to raise the same to the upper edge of the washer, and by lightly tapping the side of the shell the washer and ball are moved along from the walluntil the weight of the ball seats t-he same in the washer. By continuing this tapping, the washer and ballv may be gradually moved to the apex or crest of the plate, and while remaining there the shells may be balanced on-the flattened portion 33. lAnother method would be to slide the washer 36 to the central crest of the platform and' seat the ball therein by jumping or rolling the latter.

In Figs. 9 and 10, ball or spherical-shaped bodies having a conveXed platform similar to that just described, are employed, but instead of employing a washer, suitable metal pins are utilized to form the seat for the master-ball. In Fig. 9 elongated recesses 40 are made in the convex plate or platform 41 and the pins 42 are adapted to be placed therein to form a triangular seat in which 1 the master-ball 42a must be placed in order f to balance the shells. The modification shown in Fig. 6 comprises a cylindrical cup-shaped boX or com- .1 partment 20, having a frusto conical shaped bottom 21, and having its upper end closed': by a transparent plate 92, that is securely held in position by the annular bearding 23, 1 extending around the upper edge of the In Fig. 10 the recesses 40 are omitted and the convex plate 50 supports the pins 51 that are magnetized so that they will be attracted to the masterball 51a, and when properly arranged equidistant around t-he ball andv moved to the center of plate 50, the shell will be properly balanced to allow it to stand on its flattened portion.

Thile I have shown and described a number of modified structures, it will be observed that the same principles are involved in each, z'. c., the seating of a master-ball (or weight) in the center of the platform to balance the object, and the use of a movable seat, all of which must be placed so as to bring the center of gravity over a iattened portion of the object to stand the same on one end.

What I claim as new is z- 1. A puzzle comprising a closed shell, a support in onev end thereof, a tilting plate the central portion of which rests on said support, a weight movable on said plate, and devices also movable on said plate that .are adapted to form a seat for said weight and balance said shell.

2. A puzzle comprising a closed shell, a support in one end thereof, a tilting plate resting on said support and provided with recesses, a weight movable on said plate, and devices adapted to be placed in said recesses and form a seat for said weight and thereby balance said shell.

3. A puzzle comprising a closed shell, a support in one end thereof, a tilting plate resting on said support in one end thereof, a tilting plate resting on said support and provided with recesses, a ball movable on said plate, and devices adapted to be placed in said recesses and form a seat for said ball and thereby balance'said shell.

4. A puzzle comprising a closed shell, a support in one end thereof, a tilting plate resting on said support and provided with recesses, a weight movable on said plate, and a plurality of balls adapted to be placed in said recesses and form a seat for said weight and therebypbalance said shell.

5. A puzzle comprising a closed shell, a support in one end thereof, a tilting plate resting on said support and provided with recesses, a master-ball movable on said plate,

and a plurality of balls adapted to be placed in said recesses and form a seat for said master-ball and thereby balance said shell.

6. A puzzle comprising a shell, a Weight Within the same, a platform in said Shell upon Which said Weight is movable and Which normally keeps said Weight adjacent the edge thereof, and means movable Within said shell that forms a seat for said Weight and thereby balances said shell.

7. A puzzle comprising a shell, a Weight Within the same, a platform in said shell upon Which said Weight is movable and Which normally7 keeps said Weight adjacent the edge thereof, and means movable Within said shell that forms a seat in the center of said platform for said Weight and thereby balances said shell.

8. A puzzle comprising a shell, a Weight Within the same, a platform in said shell upon. which said Weight is movable and which normally keeps said Weight adjacent the edge thereof, a plurality of recesses in the center of said platform, and devices adapted to be placed in said recesses and form a seat for said Weight and thereby balance said shell.

9. A puzzle comprising `a shell, a ball Within the same, a platform in said shell upon Which said ball is movable and Which normally keeps said ball adjacent the edge thereof, a plurality of recesses in the center of said platform, and a corresponding number of balls adapted to be placed 1n said recesses and form a seatfor said ball and thereby balance said shell.

In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand this 16th day of September, A. D. 1911.

WALDEMAR J. P. OLSEN.

Witnesses:

FRANK D. THoMAsoN, FLORENCE R. MITCHELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

